In my aforesaid Pat. No. 4,506,476, I have disclosed a particular type of window blind especially adapted for use in vehicles such as vans. Conventional venetian blinds are suspended by flexible tapes and cords and are intended for stationary operations. Incorporation of such blinds in a moving vehicle would cause the blinds, from time to time, to strike the adjacent window or other portions of the vehicle with considerable force, such as upon turning, accelerating, or passing over rough pavement. This would be detrimental to the blinds and to the vehicle, and would tend to distract the driver with attendant danger.
In my aforesaid application, a window blind structure is disclosed and claimed in which thin metal slats are secured to supports extending between two relatively rigid vertical members, one of which is fixed, and the other of which is vertically movable to adjust the angle of the slats.
As will be appreciated, there is a large number of automotive manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, that manufacture vans. There is a like plurality of different window frames, which may change from year to year even for a given manufacturer. Furthermore, there are many custom installations. As a result, there is a very large number of different window frames in which vehicular window blinds may be mounted.
In my aforesaid Pat. No. 4,506,476, the window blind structure is mounted directly to the window itself, which is openable, whereby the edges thereof are accessible for mounting structure. However, not all van windows are openable, and even with openable windows, it is sometimes desirable for a window blind to be retained entirely within the vehicle, and not exposed to the wind currents which are inevitable when the window blind is mounted directly on the window itself.